A new Tumblr sees the characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice take on
sexism, using real comments gleaned from the internet. Claire Cohen reports

When considering Mr Darcy's famous 'wet shirt' scene, the expected reaction might be a quickening of the breath and general agreement that this was Colin Firth's finest on-screen moment. The phrase 'misogynist bull****' doesn't usually come into it.

That's where new Tumblr 'Mansfeels Park' differs. The online comic brilliantly depicts Jane Austen's characters (sketched in black and white) making sexist - and satirical - comments. Just when you thought you might never see and Elizabeth Bennet rolling her eyes at the patriarchy.

The illustrations feature scenes drawn from the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, with Jennifer Ehle as Lizzie and Firth as Darcy.

But dialogue is adapted from real conversations on the internet. The female illustrators, Morag and Erin (who confesses to have come up with the name before the concept) explain they use the words of; "hurt and confused men with Very Important Things To Explain, usually to women." The comebacks are, where possible, real too.

"The more we got into it though the more we realised that Austen was perfect due to the gender politics of the novels," Morag explained in an interview. "Obviously they’re of their time, but even then Austen had a lot to say about how confined and subjugated women were."

It skewers the anti-feminist movement, using their own phraseology against them and highlighting just how outdated some of its gender stereotypes really are. So 'I don't need feminism because I like men looking at me', becomes 'I don't need feminism because I think a man looks nothing without regimentals'.

It makes for fantastic reading. I can't wait for the follow-up: Sense and Intersectionality, anyone?

Austen characters against feminism:

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